Pcos, periods (or lack of!) and a lovely bunch of ladies

[YouBoggleMyMind]

Right here's our new thread ladies:

Ella, moomin, Amy, robber, danika, trying, Eskimo and anyone I have missed or is lurking.

Here's a copy/paste of an earlier post of what I take. Somebody asked if I'm seeing docs - I am but not started treatment just yet, been trying for a year now - got my referral after 5 months but since then it's been bloods, scans, tests etc. Got my next appt in November but not had the date through yet. In the meantime I've been taking natural stuff thinking 'it can't hurt to try' and knowing they take a while to build up in your body & take effect and that I'd have to quit the biscuits to... (I'm a healthy bmi but def ate a carb heavy diet). My list wasn''t as hefty as the one below when I started in March, but has been this way since July. Since then I have had a couple of natural periods and have even ovulated (but no pg) and I naively thought maybe my cycle was just getting better and decided to break from taking everything for a month bc it is quite expensive all added up, BUT then I didn't ovulate and have gone almost 10 weeks with no period, but started back last week, period today, and will slap myself on the wrist and stick with it all this cycle!!

COPY/PASTED from a while back:
"So diet-wise a protein-heavy rather than carb-heavy diet, no added sugars /artificial sweeteners/ additives / processed foods / alcohol / gluten / only live organic yoghurt as dairy / only odd green tea as caffeine. Supplement/extras-wise I've been having a protein shake each morning (natural stevia sweetened whey isolate) & add 1tsp inositol [great for insulin issues that studies show may be a leading factor in pcos]; 1tsp maca root powder [studies show boosts circulation & good for pcos]; 1tbsp freshly ground flaxseed [again been shown to help with pcos - stopped this one after ov, (1st half of cycle only)]; and I throw a fistful of organic leafy greens in there. Also take Pregnacare conception; a good quality fish oil; calcium supp; high dose vit d3 supp; a herbal tincture prescription that includes agnus castus (stopped after ov); tribulus tincture days 5-14 of cycle [small studies have shown it can reduce ovarian cysts and boost chances of ov in up to 2/3 of pcos women, animal studies also v. successful]; also evening primrose oil 3 times a day from cd1 - cd14 to increase ewcm. Also been doing yoga most days in my living room before we start work or after work as well as going for a 30 min - 1hr walk with DH on our lunch break & daily fertility self-massage with geranium or clary sage oil (stopped after ov). Adding a high dose vit B6 for the luteal phase.
Don't think I've left anything out (opps yes I did - magnesium! Which I use in oil format sprayed on skin for better absorption), apologies for the essay!!"

Dani - My GP referred me to gyno for an urgent scan following my m/c 15 weeks ago. I kept chasing but then the hospital assessed that it wasn't urgent and should be classed as routine (even though my GP said as I might I have retained products I was at risk of scar tissue which can lead to infection or in worse cases infertility!!!)

The waiting list is currently around 18 weeks, and I can't be referred to endo to discuss the treatment of my PCOS until I've got the all clear! So I've booked the private scan for this weekend which will hopefully give me the answers I need and speed things up a little.

Welcome Summer, sorry our posts crossed there! You're in good company here
Could you get another scan do you think? Did your GP do bloods to confirm you ovulated?
Sorry to hear about the thrush too, that doesn't sound fun!! Do you eat well & take probiotic tablets & a multi-vit with iron? xx

Hopes ahh I'm with you now, that's frustrating about the hosp but good you've been able to sort it out yourself. Fingers crossed for you for this weekend - is it tomorrow? And hopefully things start moving more quickly for you as a result xx

Also - is anyone on the Clear Blue study this time round or done it before?

It's on Sunday dani- Fingers crossed it's good news!
I thought about doing the clear blue study but read that you have to store little pots of wee in your fridge so that put me off! lol

Hi [Danigrace], thank you.

I have been to docs and booked for cycle blood testing - 1st one to be done at the start of next AF. They also suggested another scan in case the pill was masking anything back then. I am in good health, taking suppliments and keeping alcohol to a minimum. I dont have horrendous periods, just long cycles - but are long cycles themselves a sign of PCOS? Or can you have long cycles and not have PCOS?

Sorry if thats me being a bit thick xx

summer it might not even be pcos for you, it could be other issues, I'm not sure of their clinical names but there are some

Hi lovely ladies, wonder if I could join your thread?

Stats
Age 29 (30 beginning of Jan), DH 31.
Ttc #1
Currently cycle 13. CD 25.

Diagnosed with pcos 5 years ago after coming off pill and having ridiculously long cycles (100+ days). At the time DH and I weren't actively ttc but neither were we actively trying to prevent.
Fast forward to last year and we decided to properly ttc. And now I'm here, a year on, never had a bfp (well ?? Chemical in march) and wondering what the hell is going on with my body.

I do admittedly have a high bmi at present (35 I think), but I've also been under 30 before and didn't seem to make any difference. Tried opks and temping but can'take seem to identify ovulation well (typical 'rocky mountains' style bbt chart).

Currently focusing on losing weight and improving fitness, taking pregnacare, inositol, vitamin d, good quality fish oil, epo (until ovulation) and agnus castus (until ovulation).
Have GP appt booked for Wednesday, worried she is going to take one look at me and tell me to come back once I've lost weight.

Sorry for long post but could do with some hand holding and advice on what to expect at GP/what I should be asking for.
Thanks.

Hi pug, welcome. Sounds like you're doing a lot to help yourself which is good. It is likely your GP will ask you to lose weight. Even with a bmi of 26 I was asked to lose weight
Your GP is likely to request bloods throughout your cycle and possibly a semen analysis for your hubby before referring you on to the fertility clinic. You also might need an internal scan to have a gander at your uterus and ovaries.
Only thing if say is don't let your GP fob you off and go in armed with questions if you have any.

Sorry about your chemical pregnancy, I have one 3 weeks ago and still feel totally gutted about it. I was told to hold on to the fact that I did conceive and that's important and a positive thing.

Ask any questions you like, were all at slightly different points in our journey and all slightly different issues but we're a good bunch and an immense support during hard times.

Just came back from my scan with good news! My womb lining is slightly thickened but no sign of retained products or any complications from my miscarriage. She said there is cysts on both of my ovaries but not enough to indicate pcos but she's referred me to my gp for further tests so hopefully that will speed things up a little!

High good news Defo!
im on month 4 of clomid. This is the 2nd month ive ovulated. Im wondering should i have a break and return in a month? Reason being im on 150 and i read doses that high can thin womb lining. My trust doesn't do scans so I have no idea what my womb is doing!

As someone who has had 7 rounds of clomid, 5 rounds at 150mg, it's only been this round that has show that my lining hasn't thicken as much. I also haven't had any mature follicles show at my last scan (will find out Wednesday if I've had them turn up late to the party!) and follicle development and your lining go hand in hand. Though to be honest, my clomid rounds haven't been back to back, they've been over the last 12 months.

I was scanned privately and had a good follicle so that maybe a good sign? She didnt mention womb lining though x

I suspect that unless there was something untoward with your lining then all was fine x

My progesterone levels were 100 last month too so hopefully that will counteract anti oestogen effect. I had a hycosy too and thats meant to boost fertility x

Hopes great news about your scan :-) have you booked in an appt with your gp?

Summer fingers crossed those tests can happen soon and give you the answers you need xx

Welcome Pug, it sounds like you're doing all you can do at the moment which is great, keep going! Hope all goes well on Wed.

Purple that's great the clomid seems to be working, fingers crossed for you!

Boggle good luck on Weds! Xx

I'm at the hosp on Fri for dye in my tubes, they're doing it internally and by xray so no incisions and general anesthesia like the 1st doc I saw said I would have. 2nd doc said there's no need for that unless you've had an sti in the past or have symptoms of endometriosis, makes me wonder how many ladies have had the more invasive test unnecessarily. DH's second sperm analysis is that same day in the morning at a hosp an hour away, hope there's no roadworks or anything because we've not much time to play with!!

That progesterone score is very good if that was taken as cd21 bloods. A hycosy is meant to spring clean things so sounds like you're all good!

Thanks dani, not feeling very confident to be honest.

Good luck on Friday, i hope it all goes well. Xx

Ive started spotting so it appears im out this month. Im 12 dpo so i imagine its a period. It seems clomid is making me ovulate but im not getting pregnant. Makes me wonder about egg quality

Spotting doesn't mean you're out. Could be implantation or as a lot of people kindly pointed out, is a fairly normal thing at the beginning. Fingers crossed for you xxx

Pointed out to me*

I don't think you were part of the thread at that point.

Thanks boggle how you doing? X

Rang my docs today dani but they can't refer me till they have my scan results so got to call back at the end of the week.

Not at all, here to hand hold at any time. I'm ok, but anxious about my follow up scan on Wednesday but it'll be what it'll be. Hoping I'm just being a bit slow haha!

My PCT tends to put younger women straight to IVF. I almost wish theyd done that id probably be done my first go!